Rotherham Titans star admires enthusiastic culture

Ross Jones kicks for the Titans

Guy Williams

Published:20:17Thursday 29 October 2015

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Rotherham’s Welsh fly half Ross Jones, who can also play to a high standard at full back, has settled in quickly at Clifton Lane since he joined the Championship club in September from the Ospreys, the Guinness Pro12 regional side based in Swansea.

The 23-year-old has now played in four league games against Bristol, Moseley, Bedford and London Welsh and considering the strong impression he has made will no doubt start against Nottingham a week on Sunday.

With his pedigree, 21 appearances for the Ospreys, including two against Toulouse in the Heineken Cup, and representative games for Wales in two Junior World Cups and on the international Sevens circuit, in Jones, Rotherham seemed to have signed a player of substantial ability and potential.

“I had five seasons at the Ospreys and played with Welsh internationals Dan Biggar and Rhys Webb, but the competition was so good I didn’t get the game-time I needed or wanted” he said.

“The coach, Steve Tandy, with whom I had a good relationship, said in pre-season that I wouldn’t be playing much and with little chance of going to another of the Pro12 teams in Wales, I thought the Championship in England was the right move.

“It was unfortunate to leave Swansea but it was by mutual agreement and since I’ve been here, I like the enthusiasm everyone has at Rotherham.

“I like the togetherness at the club.

“I wasn’t sure what to expect from the Championship which I probably underestimated but the standard is high.

“So when we go to Nottingham, we can expect a tough match and their back line is exciting.

“It’s going to be a huge test, but from what I have seen at Rotherham, we will have a purple patch sooner or later. I’m genuinely excited about the rest of the league campaign,” says Jones who produced an individual match winning effort against London Welsh of 22 points on his first full Championship debut at home last Saturday.

If competition for places was sharp at the Ospreys, Jones will also find it hard at Rotherham.

Fly half James McKinney has recovered from his serious leg injury and will resume playing shortly in the British and Irish Cup, and the other candidates for the number 10 shirt, Tom Barrett and Will Goodwin, are also decent players with a point to prove to coach Mark Jones.

Whether he plays regularly at fly half or not, Jones is a talented acquisition and should feature prominently, and bearing in mind he can also play with confidence and skill at full back, he won’t be short of games.